Route indicator



C. N POGUE ROUTE INDICATOR Nov. 15, 1932.

, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 16

.Hl mt".

Nov. 15, 1932. 8 c. N. POGUE 1,888,013

ROUTE INDICATOR Filed Feb.`16. 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented Nov.15,-1932 UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE Application ned lobi-nary 16,1981,801111 lo. 515,988, and in canada Anmut 5, 1980.

The invention relates to improvements in route indicators and an objectof the invention is to rovide an indicator for a vehicle which widefinitely and visibly indicate on a route map the exact location of thevehicle at any time as it travels over the route and which is arrangedso that different route ma s can be inserted when re uired to coverdiffrent routes to be travelle and which is arranged also so that theroute can be travelled 1n either direction with the indicatorfunctioning.

A further object is to arrange the device so that it can be readilythrown out of commission when one does not wish it to register and suchthat the reversal of the direction of travel of the map can be readilybrought about and such that when desired, the map can be manuallyshifted in either direction.

A further object is to construct the complete device in a simple,durable and inexpensive manner and so that the map carry- 1n rollers canbe readily removed when it is desired to change maps and also such thatall interior parts can be readily exposed for inspection or otherpurposes.

-A still further object is to provide an arrangement whereb the devicecan be readily driven by the existing drive for operating the vehiclespeedometer and without interfering with the operation of thespeedometer.

A still further object is to embody with the route map other informationwhich will 3 5 automatically appear as the route is travelled, theinformation appearing being valuable to the driver and car occupantsVand in regard to the various places through which the route passes.

With the above im ortant and other minor objects in view whic 1 willbecome more apparent as the descri tion proceeds, the invention consistsessentlally 1n the arrangement -and construction of parts hereinaftermore particularly described, reference bein had to the accompanyingdrawings, inwl'nch Fig. l is a perspective View of the `indicator' andshowing also the speedometer and the driving connections for both theindicator and the speedometer.

wrong road until he has travelled a consid- Fi .y2 is anenlargeddetailed vertical sectional view centrally through the indicator.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the indicator frame structure and theend plate carryin the same.' 55 igs. 4 and 5 are perspective views ofthe opposte ends of the winding rollers emp o e ig. 6 is an enlargeddetailed vertical sectional view throu h the end of one of the 60.rollers and the a jacent end of the casing and showing in side elevationthe means emplo ed for supporting that end of the roller and): formanually turning the same when deslre Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe swingingvarms which carry the driving roller.

ig. 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view -showing the drivingconnection for the 7 driving roller. o. v

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the gear.casing.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a portion of the route map.

In the drawings like characters 'of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures..

At the present time, road maps or route maps are provided for automobiledrivers to guide them in their travels and the driver has to refer tothe map from time to time and quite often with considerableinconvenience especially when travelling to check his location,particularly when travelling in a district unfamiliar to him. Hisdiiculty is materially increased when night travelling as he may missseeing road signs or village or town names and not really know he is onthe erable distance out of his way. According to 9o my invention, Ipropose providing the driver with an indicator containing a route mapfor the route to be travelled and which will visibly and positivelyindicate at all times, the exact location of the vehicle at any point onthe route so that by reference to the indicator, the driver knows hisexact location.

In carrying out my invention, and as herein disclosed, I providea'casing in which a map for the route to be travelled is placed and themap is driven or moved so that by observation,v it indicates b referenceto a fixed mark on the casing, t e exact location of the vehicle at anyoint on the route.

Referring non7 to the drawings the casing 1 is substantially rectangularand has one end permanently closed by an end plate 2 and the other endopen and the front side provided with a substantially rectangularrelatively large sight opening 3 closed by a transparent plate Withinthe casing, I locate a removable frame indicated generally by thereference numeral 5 which trame embodies opposing end plates 6 and 7, airont plate 8 conu necting the end plates and a pair of spacedhorizontally disposed rear gu1de bars 9 and Y 10 connecting theplates,.the latter bars having a brace bar 11 extending centrally therebetween. The up* er and lower edges ot the plate 8 are rolledbaclrwardly as indicated at 12 and 13 to provide guides and asubstantially rectangular closure plate 14 is fastened permanently hyclips 15 and 16 to the plate 6, there being a space 17 reserved betweenthe latter plates.

. The frame is designed to pass endwise into the casin with the plate 8directly to the rear of t e window or transparent plate a and the guidebars 9 and 10 slidably received over the iront side of the withinhorizontal guides 18 and 19 secured to the back wall of the casing, suchlatter construction supporting the frame in o rating position wit in thecasing and permitting of the ready removal of the same when desired.When the frame is in its final position within the casing, the plate 14closes the o en end of the casing in the manner best s own in Figure 1.

The end plates 6 and 7 support rotatably upper and lower rollers 20 and21 and these rollers carry a winding strip 22 which passes late 8 and isvisible through the window. l ach roller is provided at one end with apivot pin 23 and at the other en d with a central circular hole 24having radial slots 25 and 26 extending therefrom and the pivot pins areadapted` to enter bearing holes 27 and 28 provided in the plate 7.

In locations horizontally aligned with the holes 27 and 28, the plates 6and 14 support rotatably similar winding spindles 29 provided at theirouter ends with finger pieces 30 and at their inner ends with crosspins' 31. Each spindle 29 is fitted also with a further pin 32 engagingthe plate 6 and a coiled spring 33 is interposed between the latter pinand the plate 14. The inner ends of the spindles are adapted to enterholes 24 of the rollers with the pins 31 in the slots 25 and 26, thearrangement being such that the rollers are rotatably supported and alsocan be turned by manipulating the finger pieces. The arrangement alsopermits therollers to be dismounted by pulling outwardly on the fingerpieces to withdraw the inner ends of the spindles from the rollers andthen end shifting the rollers to withdraw the pins 23 from the holes inthe plate 7.

I have not considered it necessary to give a more detailed explanationof this latter arrangement as it is a well known construction. Eachroller is provided in its peripheral face with a longitudinally extendmgslot 34 which is adapted to receive the end of the winding strip 22 and'for convenience in manipulating, the ends of the strip are herein shownas provided with reinforcing wires 35.

The strip 22 is provided with a road guide indicated generally by thereference numeral 36 which will of course vary with the different routesto be travelled. This route guide will show the diderent cities, townsor villages passed through, also the various turns in the road as is atthe present time common practice. It will have also appearing thereon ascale 37 indicating miles travelled and I consider it desirable also tohave on the winding strip and opposite the various indicated points onthe guide, information relative to those points which will be of valueand interest to the traveller. in Figure 10, it will be noted that thereare a number of vertical columns containing information, the informationbeing located horizontally opposite diiierent places indicated on theroute 36. It will also be noted (see Figure 1) that, at the top of thewindow I have printed headings which lie directly over the upper ends ofthe columns so that by reference to the headings, one can quickly obtainthe information appearing in the underlying columns.

On the window, I have drawn a horiontal indicating line 38 passing fromside to sideof the window and this line obviously crosses the milescale, the. route guide and also the adjoining columns. Consequently ifthe winding strip be moved at a determined speed as the vehicle travels,it will not only indicate on the map the exact location of the vehicleat any time but also the mileage and will also give in the areaadjoining the line 38 desirable information about the several placesindicated on the strip.

As all motor vehicles are at the present time equipped with the wellknown speedometer driven in the well known manner by a flexible drivingcable from one of the front Wheels of the vehicle, I have considered itdesirable to utilize such speedometer driving cable to drive my routeindicator.

The conventional speedometer is indicated generally by the referencenumeral 39 in Figure 1 and the customary flexible cable for driving thesame is indicated by the reference immoral 40 which cable ordinarily isconnected directly to the speedometer. Where my indicator is to beinstalled, how- In the strip shownl drives the speedometer in the usualmanner and the spindle is provided with a worm 43 which drlves a trainof worm wheels and worms contained in the casing 41 and operates todrive the flexible cable 44 at a reduced speed which cable'drives thedriving roller 45 before mentioned in the indicator casing. The drivingroller 45 is rotatably carried b a pair of swinging arms 46 and 47pivotay supported b ali ed pivot pins 48 from the plates 6 and an thearms are connected by a brace bar 49 so that they will swing tother. Acoiled spring 50 connects the race bar with the bar 11 and according tothis arrangement, it will be apparent by reference toigure 2 that thespring will operate to hold the roller 45 1n contact with the roller 21when the s ring is below the dead central oint 48 an that on the otherhand, when vt e roller 45 is swung upwardly into contact with the roller20, the spring will operate to hold such rollers in engagement as it,the spring, is then above the dead central point 48'.

1t will at this oint be noticed (see Fi ure 2) that the end; of thestrip are tig tly wound on the rollers 20 and 21, the arrangement beingsuch that when the roller 45 is in Contact with the stri on the roller21 and driven in a counter c ockwise direction, it will roll the striponto thelrolier 21 and unwind the same from the roller 2O and that uponthe roller 45 'being thrown intocontact with the strip wound on theroller 20 and while driven 1n the same counter clockwise direction, willwind the strip 22 onto the roller 20 and unwind it from the roller 21.This arrangement obviously ermita me to readily reverse the direction otravel 4 of the route guide, such being desirable when one has completedtheir journeyv and desires to return home by the same route.

In order that the roller 45 can be readily moved from one drivingposition to the other, I have rovided arcuate slots 51 in the 6, 7 an 14and have passed the ends o such roller shaft 45 through these slots tothe exterior of the casing, the one end being connected to the drivingcable 44. By such provision, one can at any time place his fingersagainst the sides of the protruding ends of the roller shaft and forceit up or down as desired.

One may at times desire to stop the travel of the route vguide orcorrect its setting and for this reason -I have provided the plates 2and 14 with sliding nger actuated catches 52 adapted when actuated tocatch and hold lates in a neutral position, that is, positioned in-Abetween the other rollers. riving roller held clear of the termediatelWith the otherrollers, one can then readily move the ,d

`strip 22 in either direction by manipulating one or other of the fingerieces 30.

When it is desired to c ange the route guide, one withdraws the frameAfrom the casing byA sliding it outwardly, then dismounts the rollers bypulling back the spindles and then replaces the uide with a new guide aswill be readily un erstood and returns the, parts to their originalplaces.

While Ihave shown the driving connections for vthe driving roller asdriven by the iiexible cableoperating the speedometer, it will bereadily understood that this has been done only as a matter ofconvenience as aseparate and distinct drive could be 'utilized ifdesired. Further in regard to the drive for the route guide, I wishit'to be distinctly understood that any type of drive can be employedlprovided, of course, that the rate at whic the guide is moved is suchthat the ide will indicate with reference tov a fixe point, the preciselocation of the-vehicle at any time.

In order that the device may be advantageously used for night drivin 1have pro vided an electric lamp 53 in t e upper part of the casingwhichwill be connected with a suitable source of current and which isositioned so that thelight rays will shine own over the front face ofthat part ofthe strip passing over the plate 8.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A route indicator for a vehiclecomprising a stationary receiving casing havin a sight opening therein,an endwise withdrawable frame slidably carried by the casing, windingrollers rotatably carrled by the frame and removable therewith, awinding strip connecting the rollers and having a portion thereof`visible throu h the sight opening said strip bein provid signs of theroute to e traversed by the vehicle and means actuated by the vehicle asit progresses over the route for driving the rollers, said means beingattached to the removable frame.

2. A route indicator for a vehicle comprising a stationary receivingcasing havin a sight opening therein, an endwise withdrawable frameslidably carried b the casing, winding rollers rotatably carried by theframe and removable therewith, a winding ed withroad strip connectingthe rollers and having a por' the frame and removable'with t e frame esthe rame and ports carried thereby Without requiring disconnection ofsaid driving means.

3. A vehicle route guide comprising a stationary casing provided with esight opening, en endwise Withdrawable frame slidably carried by thecasing, a pair of winding rollers rotatably and demountabi carried by aunit from the casing, e winding strip con1 necting the rollers andhaving a portion thereof visible through the sight opening said stripbeing provided with road signs or the route to be traversed by thevehicle and a flexible driving connection for the rollers, saidconnection being actuated by the vehicle es it progresses over the routeand being connected to the freine and permitting or the removal of the:traine frornthe casin with-s out requiring the disconnection of t eseid driving ineens,

et. A 'vehicle route guide comprising a stationary7 casing provided witha sight opening, a withdrawable frame mounted in the casing, a pair ofWinding rollers rotatably and demountably carried by the frame andremovable With the frame as a unit 'from the casing, a Winding stripconnecting the rollers and having a portion thereof visible through thesight opening, said strip being provided with road signs of the route tobe traversed by the vehicle, a driving roller carried by the frame andinterposed between said former rollers and mounted for selectiveengagement with either of said rollers to rotate the same and a iiexibledrive for the driving roller, said drive being actuated by the vehicleas it progresses over the route and bein connected to the frame therebpermittmg of the removal of the frame anl part-s carried thereby withoutrequiring the disconnection of the drive.

Signed at Winnipeg, this 5th day of August, 1930. p

' CHARLES N. POGUE.

